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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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Quote:
Hey Brian, so glad to hear your life has improved so much with the diet!
By symptom free, I'm assuming you're including the "C" in that? Do you use fiber supplements? How do you keep things "moving"?
Unfortunately for me  I'm trying to gain weight (which I've never been able to put back on since the parasite/dysentery episode). I always seem to lose weight on these diets.
Thanks for sharing, it's good to know it's working for a fellow IBS-C person.
Chris
Chris,
I have had incredible results, with my C not even a factor anymore! I make sure to keep 1/2 of my plate SF, 1/4 IF and 1/4 is a safe protein for EVERY meal. I don't use any supplements, although I do have Metimucil tablets with me at all times for peace of mind. If I find that I am in a situation that may not be totally safe, I know that I can take 2 tablets before eating to keep myself safe for that meal. The best advise I could give is to totally commit to this diet, and its principles, if you don't you 'cheat' and are more likely to remain in a C lifestyle.
Brian
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helpforibs is my saviour from IBS-C....all hail Heather Van Vorous!!!!
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I mean, obviously, I didn't just jump in and start eating raw veggies with wild abandon. And I still don't. I experimented first with a leaf of lettuce on a sandwich. Or a raw piece of mango. (I know, that's SF, but I wasn't eating ANYTHING raw, so...)
I'll use what I ate today as an example. With my lunch, I had a smoothie made of a banana and a few huge fresh strawberries. I had a snack of mixed fruit - pineapple, mango, and (canned) mandarin oranges, about a cup or so total. Then with dinner, I had raw mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. That's a pretty typical day for me these days. If you go by what the USDA calls a "serving" (1/2 cup), I've probably had 5 or 6 servings.
In all cases, I make sure to have SF food to cushion it - I had a couple tea biscuits with the fruit snack, I had my smoothie with a sandwich, and with dinner, I had rice. And on days that my guts are "iffy", I stick with the cooked stuff.
And there are still plenty of veggies I absolutely am petrified to eat raw that I used to love - broccoli, cauliflower, even carrots. You'll notice that the stuff I'm eating is all pretty "soft"... the crunchy stuff still worries me. But maybe I'll get brave and try those eventually too.
What's funny is that I didn't start eating raw veggies because I needed the help with my BMs... I was just craving something that WASN'T beans/carrots/peas/spinach cooked to a pulp. Stabilizing was a pretty good benefit!
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You took the words right out of my mouth. Stephie, this board is all the better because of your encouraging, positive tone, and your need to help. God bless ya!
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Keep on keepin' on...
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One more comment on IBS with C.--
I am very happy that Heather addressed the C aspect of IBS in the recent newsletter. There was some eye-opening info: for example: That it is ok to take laxatives, etc while intoducing SFS's and Insol. and Sol. fibers to your digestive system. Did Not Know that! I thought it would be best to get rid of the laaxatives completely as they are so bad for you.
I welcome all info. about C and IBS.
I can feel a lot of frustration and anger on some people's part where Heather's Diet has not worked for them in a way they had anticipated. Me too. I understand. However, having said that-- I also agree with the premise that it is going to take a while, maybe up to six months, for MY body to adust to this new eating plan--hate the word diet as it sounds temporary. I have good days and bad days. Sometimes I don't eat enough Insoluble Fiber and my system responds negatively to that. I am still learning and experimenting with what works for me. I am in about week 5 with the plan.
I believe in it even though I experience frustration. I do understand that it could take awhile for my system to adjust. I just keep remembering that I have been taking laxatives, colon cleansers for more than 20 years!! It is going to take time to "fix" what I did to myself.
I DO FEEL MUCH BETTER THOUGH: VERY LITTLE BLOATING AND SELDOM DO I HAVE SHARP CRAMPS. I told my husband I feel ten years younger.
Please know that I think of all you "C's" out there and completely empathize with what you are feeling. Wondering when your next bowl movement is going to be is no fun-- one day, three days, a week! It's awful.
My prayers and thoughts are with you.
Robin
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Thanks for describing this, Casey. I feel the same way! I too, "play it by ear" or go with the flow, i.e. listen to my body in regard to "raw." Combining it with sf on good days is quite safe for me. I understand too about the need to bite into something different.
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For Beth
#184563 - 06/08/05 07:55 AM
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Stephie
Reged: 03/10/04
Posts: 2696
Loc: Vancouver, Canada
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Thank you so much for your kind words. It means so much to me. So much that I am looking up at the ceiling so I don't get all cry-face at work. 
I have been going through just so much cr@p lately and feeling so so bad about myself.. that just helped me more than I can even say.
It's so nice to have someone in my corner!
**big hugs**
--Steph
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~~I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell-I know right now you can't tell~~Matchbox 20
IBS-D,pain.
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~~I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell-I know right now you can't tell~~Matchbox 20
IBS-D,pain.
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You go girl! Keep being patient and persistent...it does pay off!
It took me 2.5 years to figure things out. If I had given up and left the boards I wouldn't have learned that sugar, dairy, red meat, and gluten are major offenders for me. With those guys CONSISTENTLY out of my system, not even a speck of cheating aloud, I am IBS safe!
It's great to get such encouraging feedback! Hang in there!
*hugs*
Ruchie
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Formerly known as Ruchie
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